Marijuana and civil society: What it means to celebrate 420

April 20 is the unofficial but nationally recognized marijuana holiday. The origins of this celebration of cannabis culture are purely speculative. One widely held legend is that a band of hooligans who called themselves the Waldos started the tradition by lighting up after school regularly at 4:20 p.m. at the Louis Pasteur statue in San Rafael, Calif. Other speculations include the claim that the Grateful Dead would play at 4:30 p.m. every day so the members would ceremonially light up before practice. Others believe that 420 is the police code for the criminal act of possession of marijuana. Whatever the origin, the holiday is universally recognized by, as Abe Lincoln would put it, "smoking a pipe of sweet hemp."Although smoking pot may be the primary observance of 420, for many the day means much more than recognizing the euphoric effects of THC, the pharmacologically active chemical in marijuana. The ideals associated with marijuana culture, which include individual freedom, sexual liberation and environmentalism - linked with the celebration's nearness to Earth Day - are advocated through political rallies and lectures. Every year the UMass Cannabis Reform Coalition sponsors "Extravaganja," a "proud pro-pot protestival" held on the Amherst Common, during which funds are raised for advocating the legalization of marijuana. Many attend such events not just to get high, but because they support the underlying principles of the movement.

One commonly invoked argument for the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana is the War on Drugs, a drug enforcement initiative started under the Reagan administration that targeted marijuana as a "gateway drug." Those who oppose the prohibitionist policy claim that it has only been successful at overcrowding prisons with innocent people who were arrested for a victimless crime, the burden of which falls on the shoulders of taxpayers. Some claim that not being able to control the distribution and sale of marijuana feeds a black market and allows for the violence associated with illegal drug trafficking to prevail.

"After studying and living in Brazil, and reading up on Mexico, Colombia, and even some areas of my native Canada, the supply side of the drug trade is where the real suffering of America's drug habit is," said Ingrid Jacobsen '11. "Many lives are lost, and these aren't people who're using. The drug war has failed for years, but we shouldn't beat ourselves up about it - marijuana has been around for hundreds of times the lifespan of our country. These are urgent, physical reasons to legalize marijuana."

Marijuana advocates also point out the fiscal benefits of legalizing the drug.

"I support the legalization of marijuana as long as it's taxed just as much as cigarettes or alcohol," said one student.

Many have pointed out the huge revenue that a tax on marijuana could bring in. The alleged medical benefits of the plant have also inspired citizens to annually light up in protest on April 20. While many studies have been criticized as skewed or flawed, many also suggest that the medicinal use of marijuana helps with amelioration of nausea and vomiting, stimulation of hunger in chemotherapy and AIDS patients, decreased intraocular eye pressure - shown to be effective for treating glaucoma - as well as general pain relieving uses.